


Fireside

by KawaiiBoushi



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, anyway morag and zeke are my brotp i wanna write more of them being bros n stuff, everyone's There and moraghid is mentioned but it's not really the focus, pyrex is almost kinda hinted at
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 23:58:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18020963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KawaiiBoushi/pseuds/KawaiiBoushi
Summary: Inspired by the incredibly blessed cuddle pile in the Xeno2 art book, here's a glimpse into Zeke and Morag's fireside chat about the pains of being royalty and how having a cute Blade GF is pretty cool.





	Fireside

**Author's Note:**

> hey welcome to another episode of I Wanted To Write Vapid Fluff But Barfed Headcanons Everywhere Instead. enjoy

“And then Rex was all, ‘hiyah!’ And Poppi was like, ‘pew pew pew!’ And then my prince finished it off with a ‘ _KABLAMMO!_ ’”

Each sound effect punctuated with a grandiose gesture, Pandoria finished her dramatic reenactment with a triumphant pose and bright flash of her shoulders for good measure. Satisfied that her friends, gathered around the campfire after their long battle, were sufficiently regaled, she plopped back down and leaned against Zeke with a dreamy sigh. “And now I’ll have Fried Octomayo for weeks.”

“Didja catch that, Brighid?” Nia asked with a snort. “Kablammo. That’s important, make sure ya write that part down.”

Thoughtfully stroking his chin, Zeke said, “I dunno, it felt more like a kaboom to me. I suppose kablammo does have a nice flair to it, though.” He draped his arm around Pandoria’s shoulders and shrugged. “Well, Brighid, it’s your journal, whichever you like best is fine.”

“Mmhmm,” Brighid hummed absently, presumably focused on her writing (though it was hard to say for sure thanks to her perpetually closed eyes). “Whatever you say, Zeke.”

Pyra, busy preparing as much meat as she could from the day’s bounty, looked up with a smile. “I think it sounds very cool either way,” she said earnestly. “Honestly, I wasn’t even sure we would be able to take that giant squood down at first. It was a rough fight.”

“Yes, the dreadful Cloud Sea King Ken has been a scourge upon Genbu for decades now. It’s about time it learned what happens when you mess with the Zekenator.”

“And by that,” Pandoria interjected, “my prince means he would get smacked around a bunch whenever he went running around the drifts. We just never had the manpower to fight back ‘til now.”

“Or Poppipower!” the robot declared proudly, fists on her hips.

“We couldn’t have done it without ya, Poppi,” Rex, standing a short distance away from the group, agreed. While everyone else had been ready to settle in as soon as they had found a safe place to do so within the nearby ruins, the salvager had been wandering the perimeter of their campsite, running his hands over half-legible carvings in the walls and muttering to himself.

“Hey, Rex, dinner’s just about ready. Why don’t you come sit down?”

At his Blade’s summon, Rex finally tore himself away from the crumbling stonework to join the rest of the group, though not without one last glance over his shoulder. “Zeke, you never told me about this place. Has it been fully explored and excavated already? Are there any translations of these runes available?”

Zeke shook his head, grabbing an Octomayo ball. “Tantal hasn’t exactly had the resources to fund an archaeological expedition, so it’s unlikely. Honestly though, I’m more curious about what’s at the top of that huge tower.” He made to bite into his food, only for his face to fall upon finding an empty skewer in his hand. “Hey! Pandy!”

“Didn’t do it,” she said through a mouthful of squood, eyes twinkling with mischief. “And speaking of which, you’d have broken a lot more than a couple ribs launching yourself at that tower without me, you know.”

“Yes, why else do you think I waited to give it a proper go until I had a Blade to form an ether barrier? Dunno why you never wanted to try again, we were only a few meters off.” Huffing, he snatched up another handful of Octomayo and scarfed it down before it could disappear. “What did I ever do to deserve this relentless bullying?”

With a smirk, Pandoria nuzzled closer to him. “You know you love it.”

Desperately fighting back an affectionate smile in favor of trying to appear annoyed, Zeke said nothing, only offering his Blade a larger squood-filled skewer. She happily accepted it, allowing him to finish his meal in relative peace.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, Pyra packed away their leftovers in an icebox of Perun’s making, loudly announcing that _everyone_ could help themselves tomorrow and pointedly staring at Pandoria as she did so. Soon, the fire began to die down, lively conversation becoming interspersed with more yawns as one by one sleep claimed the members of the group. Too tired to set up sleeping rolls or tents, everyone simply drifted off in a dogpile of Drivers and Blades until only Zeke and Mòrag remained awake, discussing the day’s battle.

“While things could have gone smoother, our communication and teamwork were admirable.” Pouring herself the last of the tea that Brighid had prepared, Mòrag concluded, “I see little room for improvement in that regard.”

“Our rag-tag band sure has come a long way,” Zeke agreed, casting an approving glance over the group. “Seems like only yesterday the lot of you saw me as a mysterious, powerful rival, eh? And look at us now.”

“I suppose we both did start off in opposition to Rex before finding our goals aligned.” Pausing for a moment to weigh the cost of the blow to her pride, Mòrag finally admitted, “Though, on that note…I do feel I owe you an apology, Zeke. To be honest, when you first joined forces with us, I wrote you off as a blundering fool.”

“Ooh, harsh as always.” Smirking, he conceded, “But to be fair, I get that a lot.”

“Perhaps so, but I imagine that those who spend enough time around you would come to the same conclusion I have: that beneath the image you project, you’re far wiser than your first impression betrays. Time and again you’ve surprised me in discussions of matters such as politics and ethics, and the way you dealt with the omega fetter situation was admirable. I suspect that, if given the chance, you would develop into a fine ruler one day.”

“What can I say, ten years out in the world has taught me more than all my tutors ever could have. I just know when to be serious and when to have fun.” He took aim at the Special Inquisitor with a finger gun. “You might want to consider taking a leaf outta my book on the latter, eh?”

Pointedly ignoring him, Mòrag continued, “As I was saying. We may not always see eye to eye, and you may have a talent for…getting on one’s nerves, but at the end of the day I have come to respect you as a comrade-in-arms and as a friend.”

“And in all seriousness, Mòrag, I appreciate that. Good friends are hard to come by when you’ve spent the better part of your life drifting from Titan to Titan.” Despite the mood, Zeke couldn’t resist the temptation to poke some fun. He quirked an eyebrow and gave a meaningful glance at Brighid. She had fallen asleep behind Mòrag, a modest few inches between them, but the way her hand rested on her Driver’s arm didn’t go unnoticed by the prince. “Now, I know that coming from you, this is pretty ‘blushy crushy’ as Tora would say, but I take it you aren’t building up to a confession here?”

There were very few, if any, people in the world who had seen Mor Ardain’s Special Inquisitor snort tea out of her nose. Zeke had just joined those proud ranks. It was almost painful holding in his laughter, but he managed to settle on a silent, face-splitting grin. Mòrag, meanwhile, was struggling to maintain any shred of dignity as she wiped chamomile from her face. Clearing her throat, she gave him a withering stare.

“Astute,” she said wryly. Inclining her head towards Pandoria, she added, “And I take it you aren’t disappointed to hear that you…aren’t my type.”

“Flamebringer you may be, but my flame already burns for another.” Expression softening, Zeke pulled his sleeping Blade closer, prompting a soft hum as she instinctively nuzzled against him.

Mòrag nodded thoughtfully. “So, once in a while you _can_ come up with a decent line. Impressive.”

Zeke held his free hand to his chest and gave an exaggerated gasp. “All my lines are _gold_ , thank you. How do you think I wooed Pandy?”

“Of course,” Mòrag said with a smirk. “My mistake.” She took a moment to finish her tea, now that she was in less danger of spraying it across their campsite. “Though, all things considered, I would have expected the two of you to be…far less subtle.”

Zeke let out a chuckle. “More obnoxious, you mean? Well, we sort of got used to staying on the down low since the Praetorium took us in. We get funny looks everywhere, sure, and normally we couldn’t care less. But I get a different sort of vibe from Indol. Like…they see Blades more as tools than people. Like with Pandy.” He paused, scowling. “I know that it was a life or death situation, and she insists that she would have done it anyway. But they basically cut out a chunk of her heart to save me, when she wasn’t even conscious to ask, and no one there seemed to get why that bothered me. Just told me I should be glad that I had a Blade or else I’d be dead.” 

In the dim firelight, solemn face bathed in shadows, he seemed to age decades. “Really, I would’ve been a goner without Pandy long before that – and not just because of her giant electric sword, mind you. Being thrown out of the only home I had ever known with nothing but the clothes on my back really took me down a few notches. Just having her around gave me something to live for no matter how hard it got. Nothing and no one is more dear to me.”

“The strength of your bond certainly shows, in battle and out,” Mòrag noted. “I’ve met very few pairs in my time as in sync as the two of you.”

“Well, ever since this –” Grin returning, Zeke gestured to his scar. “– the timing on our poses _has_ gotten even better.”

Mòrag gave a soft laugh. “Not exactly what I meant, but fair enough. A true representation of being one, body and soul.”

“That we are, believe me,” Zeke replied with an exaggerated blink that Mòrag could only assume was meant to be a wink. “Anyway, what about you guys? Mor Ardain never seemed particularly against Driver-Blade relationships, but I imagine the standards might be different when it comes to the Jewel of the Empire.

A light blush appeared on Mòrag’s cheeks. “I have…been informed that Brighid and I are the worst kept secret of the Ardanian army. I don’t suppose anyone much minds so long as I am able to fulfill my duties. After all, it wasn’t until after Niall was born and I stepped down from my position that we…”

“Hooked up?”

Grateful she didn’t have any tea left to choke on, Mòrag gave an awkward cough. “In…a manner of speaking. _Anyway._ To answer your question, I do not believe that it makes a difference in how our relationship is viewed. If anything, there are few others who would be allowed such an intimate – wh-who would…be trusted in such a position. After all, it is my job as Special Inquisitor to protect Brighid and Aegeon’s core crystals at all costs.”

“And your job as Brighid’s _lover_ , eh?”

“I – …yes.” Rubbing her temple – possibly to hide her reddening face – Mòrag begrudgingly agreed. It was generally better to nod and smile when Zeke got going to avoid collateral damage. In an attempt to prevent the conversation derailing into innuendos, she asked, “Actually, while we’re on the subject, is Pandoria not considered at least as valuable to Tantal as Brighid is to Mor Ardain? I’ve long found it surprising that King Eulogimenos would sacrifice access to her powers for the sake of punishing you.”

With a mirthless breath of laughter, Zeke replied, “Yeah, well, Architect knows that man isn’t known for being rational. Though from his point of view, I’m sure being able to kick us both out at once was a great two-for-one deal. I don’t think he thought I had it in me to resonate with her in the first place, considering how many generations it’d been since the last time she was awakened. Couple hundred years, give or take. Letting me try was more a formality than anything, so when it actually worked, he quickly came to regret telling me about her incredible Titan-controlling powers that I abused the hell out of, going on all my little adventures. He was probably afraid I might wise up and threaten Tantal’s isolation, so to the curb with me it was.”

“I see.” Slowly nodding, Mòrag said, “That can’t have been easy at such a young age. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was honestly the best thing that ever happened to me. I grew up, learned how the world really works outside of Genbu…fell harder for Pandy with each day together.” Gently brushing his hand along her cheek, Zeke pressed a soft kiss to Pandoria’s forehead. “Call me a lovestruck fool, but I’ve always thought it was destiny that I resonated with her, when so many before me failed. Or that maybe she saw something in me worth finally waking up for. Whatever the case may be, there are no words to express how thankful I am for her.”

“Destiny, eh?” Mòrag absently gave her own Blade’s hand a soft squeeze. “Quite a lovely sentiment. However, that being said…are you not planning on returning to the throne?”

Face falling again, a heavy sigh escaped Zeke’s lips. “Well, up until recently, I didn’t think it was an option. My old man went a decade without so much as checking to make sure I was still alive. Figured he had a back-up plan for succession. Now…I dunno. I’m not the same dumb kid who got kicked out of Tantal. I think I could actually accomplish something for my people, instead of just yelling at my dad ‘til I’m blue in the face. But I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if there’s still a Tantal in need of ruling after all this is over.” Aimlessly waving his free hand, he scoffed and added, “Hell, I could just take over then abolish the need for a blood heir altogether. Architect knows my family’s screwed the country over enough as it is.”

With a shake of her head, Mòrag hummed in commiseration. “I don’t envy your position. I would like to believe there is nothing I wouldn’t sacrifice for the Empire, but…I’d rather not dwell on the idea of being forced to make that choice.”

“That’s right, I guess you dodged the ‘producing an heir’ bullet, eh? That _privilege_ landed squarely on your fourteen-year-old brother’s shoulders.” Rolling his eyes, Zeke raised his glass before downing its contents. “Cheers to the joys of royalty.”

She hesitated, pursing her lips, before admitting, “I feel guilty sometimes, for being relieved that I no longer have to concern myself with certain aspects of ruling.”

Zeke shrugged the shoulder that wasn’t currently occupied supporting Pandoria. “We deserve to be happy too, yeah? You and me. Brighid and Pandy. Niall too, for that matter. It’s not our fault we are who we are.”

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t absolve our responsibilities.”

“Yeah.” A silence fell over them again, punctuated only by the crackling of the fire and Tora’s occasional snore. Yawning, Zeke carefully adjusted his position so that he was laying down with Pandoria snuggled close against him. “Well, I guess there’s only one thing for it.”

When it became clear that he was waiting for a response, Mòrag, settling in as well, prompted, “And that would be?”

“We get to Elysium, of course. Then we can do whatever we want. I mean, who’s gonna tell the saviors of the world who they can and can’t date?”

“A noble cause.”

“Hey, I’m a selfless guy.” Glancing towards Pyra and Rex, he added, “And if those two ever stop tip-toeing around each other, we’ll have the Aegis on our side too. It’s a foolproof plan.”

Mòrag gave one last soft chuckle as she closed her eyes. “Speaking as an official representative of Mor Ardain, I hope to see Tantal flourish under its next king and queen. Speaking as a friend…I hope to see the king and queen flourish together.”

“Tantal appreciates your gracious words, Special Inquisitor.” A grin on his face and the love of his life in his arms, Zeke couldn’t help but feel as if, despite his luck, somehow everything was going to work out. “Consider this a royal decree that we won’t let you down.”

**Author's Note:**

> editing in a sappy AN or whatever the kids call it these days bc I just realized I posted my very first xeno2 fic a year ago today! happy xenoversary to me! i never expected to fall in love with this game like i did (sorry to everyone who was keeping up with me for p4 lol) but it's brought me a lot of joy and i met some cool people bc of it. i've also gotten better at writing these characters.....oof my first couple fics were rough. anyway, thanks to the handful of people in this fandom and the small handful who read panzeke, yall the real mvps!


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